Android increases lead in smartphone market share

Google's Android platform is getting ever-closer to claiming half of the smartphone market. In the latest report by metrics company comScore Inc., the Android platform had increased its lead in smartphone market share to 44.8 percent in the three months ending in September, a 4.6 percentage-point rise from the three months ending in June. The only other platform to see a rise was Apple's iPhone, which increased its market share by 0.8 percentage points to 27.4 percent. Research In Motion's BlackBerry saw its market share drop by the same amount Android's rose: 4.6 percentage points, to 18.9 percent. Microsoft and Symbian each saw their market share drop by 0.2 percentage points to 5.6 percent and 1.8 percent market share, respectively. Overall smartphone ownership among U.S. mobile subs...